Flexible container with outsert



Jan. 4, 1966 o. E. RIEDER 3,227,318

FLEXIBLE CONTAINER WITH OUTSERT Filed Oct. 9, 1964 VENTOR E. RIEDER BY I (ME/ i;

ATTORNEYS M 332L31 FLEXIBLE, CONTAINER WITH OUTSERT "Otto =Rieder, -Etobic'dlie, Ontario, Canada, 'a's'signor' to General Impact --Extfi1ibii$ (lvlanli'facurring) Limited, Toronto, Ontario Canada Filed 'ct.9, 1964, 'S'rJNo. 402,714

3 Claims. =.(Cl.l 222-- 92) This invention relates to a metal container such astlie collopsible metal containers commonly usedfor dispens- 1ng consumer products such as'teetnpate.

Many products react with the metal of the tube within Wl'llCll they are packed and cause discoloration and, in some cases, toxicity of the product. The occurrence is common with toothpaste, where it is usual to see discoloration of the product where it becomes overlaid on the threaded metal neck of .the tube with which the cap engages. Considerable effort has been expended in the past to avoid this and similar discoloration, and one answer to the problem has been to provide a plastic outsert for the metallic neck of a tube. The closure cap screws onto the threaded plastic outsert. In result product that becomes spilled over the threaded plastic outsert does not attack the plastic and the objectionable reaction between product and container at this troublesome point is eliminated. Such an outsert is described in Canadian Patent No. 669,063, granted to the American Can Company on the th of August 1963.

The use of outserts such as those described in Canadian Patent No. 669,063 brought with it other objectionable features not previously encounered. It has been found that tubes fitted with outserts such as those described in Patent No.669,063 tend to leak. 'The outserts are made from a relatively hard plastic and they are sprung onto the neck of the container, with the result that the plastic material is under tension. Plastic does not react favourably in tension over a period of time; it tends to creep and to lose its grip. The result is that the seal between the neck of the container and the plastic outsert as described in Patent No. 699,063 becomes broken in time and, if the contents of the container are not promptly used, the container leaks. Leakage often occurs on the retailers shelf in the case of items such as tooth paste, creams and the like.

There are outsert designs other than the one shown in Patent No. 669,063, but they all tend to combine a relatively hard plastic material and a metal. No one to date has provided an outsert that is capable of giving a leakproof seal between the outsert and the top portion of the container with which it cooperates over an extended period of time.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an outsert for a container having a neck through which the contents are dispensed that will maintain leak-proof characteristics over an extended period of time. According to the invention, the outsert is made from a plastic material that is softer than metal when it is compressed thereagainst. Means are provided for compressing the outsert against the harder metal to provide a complete seal between the container and the outsert. The plastic material preferably is a low density polyethylene having a shore hardness of between 50 and 100. The material quality of the plastic is that it be relatively soft compared to the metal of the tube so that it can be compressed to adopt the configuration of the tube at the point of sealing. The invention will be clearly understood after reference to the following detailed specification read in conjunction with the drawings.

'In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a view of a tube of the type commonly used for dispensing tooth paste according to the present invention.

used "to dispense products, such as tooth Tp te.

I 3,227,318 Patented --.'Ian. 4,

FI'GURE 2 is'a'section view along the liiie of FIGUREjmna FI'GUREaiS 'a'view slan theline s 3 $f FIGURE "2. Referring to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally refers to acollapsible metal'tub'e of th'e typec'oirijr'rionly It a acollapsible tubular b'od'y with alrigid summer 12 and 'entsenror the inetalheck ofsiich a tube s'o fthat objectionable reaction between the metal of tlie tu b'e andtl'le product will not take place on the outside of the tube as the product tends to spill during use.

The outsert illustrated comprises a tubular plastic member 16 press fitted downwardly on the neck 14 as illustrated. It has a radially outwardly extending flange 18 which is compressed against the shoulder 12 by means of the turned over lug 20 to urge the lower edge of the tubular outsert into sealing relation with the shoulder 12 of the tube. The outsert is adapted to press snugly against the neck 14 of the tube at its upper end as at 22. In this connection the outsert is cut away below its contact at the top of the neck at an angle of about 1 to provide for an easy assembly of the outsert over the neck of the tube in assembly. The fit is thus tighter at the top.

The outsert 16 is threaded on its outer wall as at 24 to threadedly receive a cap 26 for the container. It will be noted that the neck 14 of the tube has a series of teeth 28 extending radially outwardly and longitudinally of its outer wall, and that the outsert has a series of teeth 30 extending radially inwardly and longitudinally of the inside wall. The teeth 28 and 30 are in intermeshing relation and are adapted to prevent relative rotation between the outsert and the neck of the tube as the cap 26 is threaded on and off of the outsert in use. The expedient of prow'ding cooperative longitudinally extending teeth is not new.

To assemble a container according to this invention, the outsert 16 is projected onto the metallic neck 14 of the container and the circumferentially extending lug 20 is turned inwardly to engage the flange 18 and compress it against the shoulder 12 to form a tight seal between the shoulder and the outsert. The essence of the invention is the provision of a plastic outsert which is softer than the metal of the tube and which will assume the configuration of the metal to form a seal as it is placed under compressive force. Thus the outsert must be of a relatively soft resilient plastic material and in this respect low density polyethylene having a shore hardness of about 70 is well suited for cooperation with containers made of lead or aluminum. Other plastic materials having the required shore hardness and resilience, such as nylon and high density polyethylene, can be used.

Product in a container stored in the container is effectively sealed when the cap 26 is applied by the seal at the flange 18, which consists of soft plastic of the outsert held in a compression against the relatively hard shoulder 12. Product may seep into the space between the neck and the outsert down to the flange 18 because the plastic is not compressed against the metal other than at flange 18, but such see-page will not result in leakage. The unit thus solves the existing problem of outserts.

Embodiments of the invention other than the one illustrated will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A container comprising a body, said body having a lower portion that is flexible and a rigid upper portion with a shoulder and a neck through which contents can be dispensed therefrom, a tubular plastic outsert around said neck with its lower edge bearing against said shoulder and in press fit relation with said neck adjacent its upper edge, said outsert being tension free around said neck adjacent its lower edge, said outsert having an upwardly directed flange at its lower edge, said neck having a series of longitudinally extending teeth on its outer surface adjacent said shoulder, said outsert having a series of 5 longitudinally extending teeth on its inner wall adjacent its lower edge and in intermeshing relation with said teeth on said neck, a rigid lug on said shoulder that extends upwardly along the outer edge and then over the upper surface of said flange on said outsert to press the lower 10 surface of said outsert in sealing relation against said shoulder and maintain said intermeshing teeth in inter meshing relation, said outsert being made of a resilient plastic material substantially softer than the metal of the upper portion of said body and adapted to adopt 15 the configuration of said neck where it is in sealing relation therewith.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1, in which said outsert has a shore hardness of between 50 and 100.

3. A container as claimed in claim 1, in which said outsert has a shore hardness of about 70.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS LOUIS I. DEMBO, Primary Examiner. HADD 8. LAND, Examiner. 

1. A CONTAINER COMPRISING A BODY, SAID BODY HAVING A LOWER PORTION THAT IS FLEXIBLE AND A RIGID UPPER PORTION WITH A SHOULDER AND A NECK THROUGH WHICH CONTENTS CAN BE DISPENSED THEREFROM, A TUBULAR PLASTIC OUTSERT AROUND SAID NECK WITH ITS LOWER EDGE BEARING AGAINST SAID SHOULDER AND IN PRESS FIT RELATION WITH SAID NECK ADJACENT ITS UPPER EDGE, SAID OUTSERT BEING TENSION FREE AROUND SAID NECK ADJACENT ITS LOWER EDGE, SAID OUTSERT HAVING AN UPWARDLY DIRECTED FLANGE AT ITS LOWER EDGE, SAID NECK HAVING A SERIES OF LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING TEETH ON ITS OUTER SURFACE ADJACENT SAID SHOULDER, SAID OUTSERT HAVING A SERIES OF LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING TEETH ON ITS INNER WALL ADJACENT ITS LOWER EDGE AND IN INTERMESHING RELATION WITH SAID TEETH ON SAID NECK, A RIGID LUG ON EDGE AND THEN OVER THE EXTENDS UPWARDLY ALONG THE OUTER EDGE AND THEN OVER THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID FLANGE ON SAID OUTSERT TO PRESS TO LOWER SURFACE OF SAID OUTSERT IN SEALING RELATION AGAINST SAID SHOULDER AND MAINTAIN AND INTERMESHING TEETH IN INTERMESHING RELATION, SAID OUTSERT BEING MADE OF A RESILIENT PLASTIC MATERIAL SUBSTANTIALLY SOFTER THAN THE METAL OF THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID BODY AND ADAPTED TO ADOPT THE CONFIGURATION OF SAID NECK WHERE IT IS IN SEALING RELATION THEREWITH. 